1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a surgical instrument for tissue removal. More specifically, the present invention relates to a surgical instrument for performing the removal of either tubal, palatine and pharyngeal types of tonsils, and even more particularly, the latter type of tonsils, which are commonly referred to as adenoids.
2. Description of Related Technology
As seen in FIG. 1, tonsils (T) and adenoids (A) are a masses of lymphoid tissue generally found in the oral and nasal cavities (Co, Cn) respectively. The tonsils are a set of tissue located on both sides at the back of the throat. Adenoids, on the other hand, comprise a clump of tissue, not directly visible from outside the mouth, located rearward of the nasal cavity and above the soft palate, generally where the nasal cavity merges with the throat. Tubal tonsils are also present in the pharyngeal cavity, but are not illustrated.
Both tonsils and adenoids are subject to infection, particularly in children. When infected, the enlarged tissue may impair breathing through the nose, cause snoring, cause retention of fluid (and, therefore, infection of the ears (caused by the adenoids)), cause accumulation of nasal secretions (and, therefore, sinus infections (caused by the adenoids), and cause difficulty in swallowing and breathing (caused by the tonsils). Since tonsil tissue has been observed to serve an immunological or other function in adulthood, when infections are common and recurring, one preferred treatment is the surgical removal of the tissue, which is called either an adenoidectomy or a tonsillectomy.
Common methods for removing the adenoids and tonsils include utilization of a curette, forceps or an electrocautery device. A curette is a surgical instrument having a spoon or otherwise shaped end that is used to scrape and remove the desired tissue. With an electrocautery device, radio-frequency energy is applied to tissue, heating the water in the local tissues, thereby weakening the tissue, allowing mechanical scraping removal and cauterizing of removal site to reduce or stop bleeding.
Of the two procedures, some physicians prefer electrocautery since it minimizes the bleeding associated with removal of the tissue. However, current instruments for electrocautery are not specifically designed for rapid removal of either the tonsils or the adenoids.